Clothes dryer end of line for jail escapee

August 07, 2002

According to Otsego County Sheriff's Dept. (OCSD) Undersheriff Matt Nowicki, Welch, a Michigan Dept. of Corrections (MDOC) prisoner had been admitted to the jail on Thursday, awaiting transfer to a MDOC facility prior to his brief escape. Nowicki said Welch was being detained after having escaped from a tether. Nowicki stated he did not know what Welch had been sentenced for or where he was coming from prior to his incarceration at the county jail.

A press release from the OCSD office indicated Welch had managed to escape during the early morning hours Friday and was apprehended and taken back into custody a few hours later from a home in Gaylord to which the inmate had fled. Michigan State Police from the Gaylord post and Gaylord City Police were reported to have captured Welch sometime between 7 and 8 a.m.

Nowicki indicated Welch was eventually found hiding in the clothes dryer at a residence either on or near Seventh Street. Authorities believe Welch was acquainted with the residents of the house he was hiding in but it is not known how Welch was able to hide himself in the clothes dryer before his apprehension.

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How Welch managed to escape from the jail is still under investigation said Nowicki, who also noted charges are pending from the Otsego County Prosecutor's office for Welch's escape.